Mumbai:
From tonight, commuters in Mumbai will have to pay more for taxi and auto rickshaw rides as fares have been hiked by Rs 2 after the Bombay High Court ruled on the issue in favour of the government.
Even though the revision of fares was slated to take place in May this year, it was challenged in the Bombay High Court by the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, a consumer's forum. The forum had challenged the hike on the grounds that it was based on a flawed premise.
After the hike comes into effect, the minimum fare for taxis will go up to Rs 21 from Rs 19. Autorickshaw fares will go up to Rs 17 from Rs 15. But only autos and taxis with recalibrated meters will be allowed to charge the new fares.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice AS Chandurkar had directed the state to give an undertaking that they will not enforce the fare hike till the time they ensure that all the meters are recalibrated. The state government has submitted that it will take around 45 days to re-calibrate the electronic meters of all autos and taxis in Mumbai city and its suburbs.
The Hakeem Committee, which laid down the formula for the calculation of fares, had recommended that the fares be hiked on an annual basis in May. The proposal for fare revision was made by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA).
The autorickshaw union intervened in the case citing hardships and rising costs that drivers face. The union claims that the Hakim committee had prescribed annual revision of fares on the basis of cost of living and other factors.